A beloved PS4/PS5 game is losing its console-exclusive status in 2026, and it's for the best

PlayStation has built its reputation on the back of exclusive must-have games, but now one of the console's best and brightest is jumping to other platforms. Really, Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is headed to the Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series consoles in January 2026, which could be read as Sony losing its grip on its hottest IP. But the reality of Final Fantasy 7s development is more complicated than that.

Despite being one of the best reviewed games of 2024, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth failed to meet sales expectations, according to a presentation of Square Enix's September 2024 financial results. It's not exactly clear what expectations the company had for the game's release, but many have speculated that they were quite high. During the same financial briefing, Square stated that Final Fantasy 16a timed PlayStation exclusive, also underperformed. Both of these statements followed an announcement in May 2024 that Square Enix would “aggressively pursue” a multi-platform release strategy, indicating an unequivocal desire to distance itself from Sony for the foreseeable future. All of this is great for the company's profit margins and overall revenue, but what does it mean for the people who actually play these games?

Forbiddenanother Square Enix PlayStation exclusive released in 2023, also reportedly underperformed.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake & Rebirth deserves to be bigger

Final Fantasy 7 Remake & Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Switch 2 and Xbox release date: January 22, 2026

Maybe Square Enix had extremely high expectations Final Fantasy 7 Rebirths sales, but that wouldn't be entirely unreasonable given the scale of the game. You can feel the money being poured into it as you play: FF7 Rebirth features cutting-edge graphics, a ridiculously large open world, significant gameplay variety via mini-games and the like, and some of the best setpieces the JRPG genre has ever seen.

For better or worse, publishers (especially goliaths like Square Enix) expect significant returns on investment as heavily as FF7 Rebirth and FF7 Remake. More than this, bring Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Remake to other platforms further increases the IP's reach and visibility, helping it accumulate a wider player base. This isn't just good for Square Enix; it's good for consumers too.

Better FF7 Remake & Rebirth sales will likely mean more Final Fantasy Remakes

While it's somewhat controversial – old-school fans have criticized it for, say, screwing up or dumbing down the original game – Final Fantasy 7 remake saga is undeniably popular overall. The games can be a bit over-developed at times, but they are entertaining, impressive and mechanically sound reimaginings of FF7 story, tailored for modern audiences. And for those who don't like remakes, the original Final Fantasy 7 remains, untouched and in all its late 90s glory.

The point is this: Final Fantasys remakes have value not just as nostalgia-baited throwbacks, but as contemporary action RPGs that stand tall against their modern competitors. One could easily imagine the potential of one Final Fantasy 8 remake, at least; even relatively recent Final Fantasy game, sort of Final Fantasy X or Final Fantasy 12could be recreated with modern visuals, combat, side content and quality of life features.

But as promising as these hypothetical remakes might be from an artistic and entertainment perspective, they won't come to fruition unless Square Enix finds such ventures profitable enough. With that in mind, bring Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth to Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series platforms may be a necessary prerequisite for development and funding. In other words, if the audience wants more Final Fantasy remakes, they should also want the current remakes to generate more revenue. For this to happen, a multi-platform launch strategy is wise.

Are there any downsides to bringing FF7 Remake & Rebirth to Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S?

Console exclusivity is often a strange thing: “losing” exclusives can be seen as detrimental by some gamers, who may feel that such a loss undermines their investment in a given console. This is a fair, if not necessarily complete, position, and there are other arguments one could make against Final Fantasy 7s remakes also cross platforms. For example:

Development support: Sony has been known to offer support to Square Enix studios developing PlayStation exclusives. This may decrease or cease entirely if the companies grow further apart.
Competition: There's also concern that, without major console exclusives, there's less of a reason for multiple platforms to exist, which could lead to some companies moving away from consoles down the road and less competition in the gaming space – leading to less motivation to make great games.
Performance: While more powerful than its predecessors, the Switch 2 still lags behind the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on the hardware front. This may compromise scope, scale or visual effects in the future Final Fantasy project.

These are drawbacks worth considering, but they hardly outweigh the benefits of bringing along Final Fantasy 7 remake saga for other consoles. Apart from the fact that more sales and visibility make the future Final Fantasy remakes more likely, cross-platform releases are consumer-friendly, ensuring that all players can enjoy these modernized titles, regardless of where they choose to play.